DESCRIPTION Little is known about the science of families withdrawing life sustaining therapy from patients with acute illnesses. The purpose of this study is to describe this experience and the meaning of this experience of family members participating in withdrawing life sustaining therapy from a family from a family member with an unexpected, life threatening illness. Using a phenomenological perspective for inquiry, this study will seek to answer the question: What do family members experience during the process of withdrawal of life sustaining therapy from a loved one with an unexpected, life threatening illness? Van Manen's (1984) phenomenological method of qualitative research will be used This method will allow the researcher and the family members to mutually commit to describing the phenomenon being studied. In depth audiotaped interviews will be conducted with family members and observation techniques will be employed. Multiple interviews and observations will be conducted over a period of days to week as families participate in the withdrawal of life sustaining therapy. All adult critical care units of a metropolitan medical center will be sites for data collection. Theoretical purposive sampling will be used to obtain the family member participants. Family members will be enrolled into the study until data or theory saturation is reached is reached. A minimum of twenty families will be included. All interview transcripts and field notes will be transcribed. Units of meaning, clusters, then categories will be inductively determined from each line of recorded data. Guba and Lincoln's (1981) criteria for determining methodological rigor for qualitative scientific inquiry will be used. The results Lincoln's (1981) for determining methodological rigor of qualitative scientific inquiry will be used. The results of this study will have important implications for future research, clinical practice, and health care policy.